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2012

TOKYO, July 9, 2012 – Lawson, Inc., a Japanese convenience store chain, announced that it has chosen Solar Frontier to supply CIS thin-film modules as part of plans to install solar panels on 2,000 of its Japan-based stores. Lawson also has purchased Solar Frontier’s online monitoring technology for the first 1,000 stores. The 150W modules will be made at Solar Frontier’s cutting-edge 900MW capacity Kunitomi factory. Solar Frontier’s “Frontier Monitor” will allow Lawson customers and anyone with an Internet connection to observe the system output of any Lawson store in real time.

“Our proposition to Lawson was consistent with what we propose to all our customers,” said Shigeaki Kameda, President of Solar Frontier. “The new feed-in tariff in Japan, like all feed in tariffs, is based on the amount of kilowatt hours you return to the grid, and Solar Frontier’s CIS technology is about delivering more kilowatt hours. Our modules are developed to deliver higher energy output in the real world plus the highest standard of quality from Solar Frontier’s Kunitomi factory in Miyazaki, Japan.”

Lawson plans to install solar panels at 1,000 of its domestic stores this fiscal year and 1,000 next year. Each store will install 12kW for an estimated average overall yearly power output of 11,000kWh per store.

The modules produced at Solar Frontier’s gigawatt-scale Kunitomi factory benefit from advanced automation, scale, and low-energy, end-to-end processing from raw materials to finished modules. Solar Frontier’s modules have been developed to produce more electricity (kWh) in real-world operating conditions, which results in higher financial returns and lower cost of ownership. The "light soaking" effect of CIS modules significantly increases output from initial values, while a lower temperature coefficient than crystalline silicon modules enables more electricity production in hotter climates. Solar Frontier’s modules are also ecologically compelling, with lower overall energy consumption in the manufacturing process to yield one of the fastest energy payback times in the solar industry.

About Solar FrontierSolar Frontier K.K., a 100% subsidiary of Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. (TYO:5002) (“Solar Frontier”), has a mission to create the most economical, ecological solar energy solutions on Earth. Building on a legacy of work in solar energy since the 1970s, Solar Frontier today develops and manufactures CIS (denoting the copper, indium, and selenium elements of the absorber layer) thin-film solar modules for customers in all sectors around the world. Solar Frontier’s gigawatt-scale production facilities in Miyazaki, Japan, integrate compelling economical and ecological advantages into every module: from lower energy requirements in manufacturing to the higher overall output (kWh) of CIS in real operating conditions. Solar Frontier is headquartered in Tokyo, with offices in Europe, the U.S.A., and the Middle East. Visit www.solar-frontier.com for more information.

Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K.Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and has roots dating back more than 100 years in the downstream energy business.